A-Rod adjusts to life at third

TAMPA, Fla.  Alex Rodriguez got a lesson Saturday on why third base is called the hot corner.

Associated Press

Published
12:00 am EST, Sunday, March 7, 2004

Rodriguez went 3-for-3 with a triple in New Yorks 14-5 exhibition win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, his first hits since the Yankees acquired him from Texas last month.

While his production at the plate is a given, its his move to third base thats under scrutiny.

He made a nice play to come in on Greg Myers bouncer in the second, but he couldnt quite get a glove on Jorge Posadas pickoff throw on the foul side of bag later in the inning, and the ball skipped into left for a run-scoring error on the catcher.

Then, in the fourth, he dived for Vernon Wells bouncer down the line. While the ball was playable, it went over Rodriguezs glove and rolled into left for a leadoff double. His backside was covered with dirt for the rest of the day, a battle scar, so to speak.

"The ground ball in was a nice play. I should have had the one in the hole," Rodriguez said.

A two-time Gold Glove shortstop, Rodriguez is still getting used to the third base position and the terminology  hes not used to describing balls to his right as being near the foul line, instead of the hole.

Each morning, Rodriguez has arrived at Legends Field between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m. to work with instructors such as former Gold Glove third baseman Graig Nettles.

Rodriguez knows the expectations. As soon as Wells ball got by him, the Yankees television broadcast cut to a great play Nettles once made.

Yankees manager Joe Torre was sitting next to Nettles in the dugout when Rodriguez hit the dirt.

"The one thing we liked is that he reacted to it real well," Torre said. "There was no hesitation and then a dive, he dived for it and he just didnt catch it. But his reaction was very good."

Rodriguez doesnt know how hell react today, when the Yankees travel to Fort Myers for their first meeting with the Red Sox since winning Game 7 of the AL championship series last October.

"You ask and guys cant really describe it," Rodriguez said of the rivalry. "You have to be in the middle of it. Its like a playoff game  its hard to really describe it unless youve been there  obviously World Series, Boston Red Sox, the Mets, those are all firsts that Im going to really enjoy and look forward to."

NOTES

Jorge Posada was 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and six RBIs. He is 5-for-5 this spring with two homers. ... Javier Vazquez, in his first game for the Yankees, allowed two runs  one earned  and one hit in one inning and got the win. ... Loser Bruce Chen was hit hard, allowing five runs and five hits in 1§ innings. ... Jason Giambi, who hit a grand slam Friday, came up with the bases loaded again. His bat shattered as he grounded to first, and when Shawn Fagans throw home went to the backstop, New York scored a pair of unearned runs. Posada hit a wind-blown three-run double later in the inning.